


two weddings

by duhhcal



Category: Red White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston
Genre: Fluff, Happy Ending, Humor, M/M, One Shot, Weddings, basically alex and henry get married and it is all very wholesome, bc they would be that soft and romantic, cakegate pt 2, david is the ring bearer bc i couldnt help myself, hes sucha good writer so it was a lot of pressure lol, i tried to make it funny lets see if that works, nora is the priest bc ofc she is, one in texas and one in london, theres two weddings, writing henrys vows was so hard but i hope theyre good!!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-12 22:40:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29392107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/duhhcal/pseuds/duhhcal
Summary: a couple years after rwrb takes place, alex and henry are getting married. alex is getting worried about the big royal wedding, but some recent memories calm his mind.
Relationships: Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor
Comments: 26
Kudos: 95





	two weddings

**Author's Note:**

> this is completely self-indulgent and fluffy but once i got this idea i couldnt get over it. i wrote this in one sitting bc i needed to get it out of my brain so i hope it all makes sense. also i dont speak spanish so im sorry if oscars dialogue is wrong/weird. i had my friend read it and she said its ok but shes not fluent. lmk if its horrible and how to fix it lol. anyways, enjoy and thanks for reading!

It was a beautiful, shining day in London, one of those rare, perfect summer mornings where the birds are chirping and everything feels alive, and Alex was shitting himself. 

Figuratively, of course, but he thought that with the amount of work it had taken to buckle him into his suit, it might become literal in a few hours. Outside his room, he could hear the bustle of caterers, florists, decorators, and all the other trillions of staff hired by the Crown for these kinds of events, moving through the venue and likely trying their best to not cause a fuss. He loosened his tie, feeling beads of sweat forming around the collar of his shirt, as he heard what sounded like Bea asking a probably frazzled staffer how they could possibly be putting that fountain over there, when it clearly was meant to go here! Poor kid. He was sure that the staffer was likely wishing this was over.

And with the way his gut was starting to turn, he was beginning to feel the same. Alex gripped the edges of his vanity and stared into the mirror at himself. Why was he so nervous? He had literally survived being outed to the entire world, an international sex scandal, and coming out on live television. He could certainly walk down an aisle to the man that he loved. “Get it together, Diaz,” he muttered to himself. “It’s just a ceremony. You’re already married anyway.”

Just thinking of that day two weeks ago set some of his tensions at ease. Of course it had always been a part of the plan to have the Grand Royal Wedding that was expected of Henry (though Alex was sure that Bea, Catherine, and maybe even Phillip would have fully supported him had he decided to not go through with the affair), but the two had decided early on that they would first get married in secret with close family and friends. This was partially Alex’s fault (okay, partially, mostly, completely, whatever adverb you want to use here would work) after he was somewhat incapable of keeping the engagement a secret for very long like they had planned. When Henry had popped the question on New Year’s Eve (romantic prick), and Alex had unsurprisingly said “Yes, yes, take me I’m yours!” or some other damsel in distress equivalent, they had decided to not go public with the engagement until the summer. After so much had been taken out of their control at the start of their relationship, it seemed right and fair that they should have a few months to themselves to enjoy being fiancés before telling the whole world. 

So that was the plan. And Alex wanted to stick to the plan. He really really did. But that ring just looked so damn good on his finger. And it wasn’t his fault if paparazzi got a few pictures of it while he was totally-not-on-purpose putting his hand in front of his face to block the flash of the cameras from his eyes, or demurely swirling the iced coffee in his cup with his left hand. Naturally, it only took about a week for the news stories to hit the stands. 

Alex Claremont-Diaz spotted around NYC with a new ring on his finger  
A Fairytale Ending: Is Alex Claremont-Diaz Engaged to his Prince Charming?  
A Tale of Two Countries (And Some Racy Emails): Looking Back Through Our Favorite FirstPrince Moments Before the Couple Ties the Knot

When asked about it he would just smile and airily say “No comment, thanks”, before walking away. And so the world knew by February. And Alex couldn’t say he was upset. He was marrying a writer, philanthropist, gay icon, James Bond look-alike and literal fucking prince. And he wanted everyone to know.

Henry didn’t seem to mind the news being leaked early (“I really expected nothing less, darling. Subtlety has never been your strong suit.”), but in order to make it up to him, Alex suggested that two weeks before the royal wedding, he and Henry get secretly married at his Dad’s house in Texas with close friends and family. No cameras, no audience, just them and the people they loved in a place that felt like home. Henry was absolutely ecstatic about the idea and called Bea and Pez immediately to ask for their help in planning the event. Alex had already run the idea by Nora and June, who had both instantly offered their help, and so the groupchat name changed to “Operation Secret Wedding” and the planning began. 

Alex had never known how much work it was to plan a wedding, let alone two with one being completely covert and the other being like the Macy’s Day Parade. There were so many things to think about that Alex had never thought about before, like floral arrangements, the number of champagne fountains (“Obviously we have to have two. Remember your brother only had one? So embarrassing.”), the seating chart, and the goddamn royal wedding cake that Alex was forbidden to go near until the cutting. He thought that was ridiculous. No one knocks over a royal wedding cake twice. And it was his wedding. But the rule stood at June and Nora’s insistence and so he begrudgingly agreed. 

Then came the matter of who was going to be walking down the aisle. Alex and Henry had already had a conversation about this, which had included words such as ‘heteronormativity’, ‘gender constructs’, and ‘bullshit’, but in the end they decided that since there were going to be two weddings, they could each walk once. Henry had opted to take the private wedding as his turn, since he wasn’t too keen on being in front of all those cameras and people and would prefer to not trip over himself in front of the whole of Britain, thank you very much. Alex, therefore, was going to be walking down the aisle at the royal wedding and he was determined to make that aisle his bitch. When he was done, Victoria’s Secret would be calling him to take over for Kendall Jenner. He was going to strut his ass all the way down and savor every moment. 

One night in the middle of October, Alex was awoken from a sound sleep to his phone buzzing on the nightstand. Henry groaned next to him, prodding him in the side to answer the phone or turn it off before he did. Alex sighed sleepily before putting on his slippers and quietly padding out of the bedroom. As soon as he put his phone to his ear, June’s voice immediately came through the speaker with a shrill “Who is going to be walking down the aisle!?” in lieu of hello. 

“Hi, Bug. How’ve you been?” he said, lazily.

“Answer the question, Diaz. I can’t believe I didn’t think of this sooner. This will decide everything.”

Though he wasn’t really sure how it would really change anything at all, he obliged her if only to finish this call quickly and go back to sleep. He had court in the morning and a bad night’s sleep does not a good lawyer make. “H is gonna walk down the aisle in Texas and I’m gonna in London. We like to share.”

“Okay, great. Now I can solidify the floral arrangements and design layout. Thanks. How’re you, by the way?”

“You know, just normal lawyer stuff. Being the voice for the voiceless and all that. Very humble.”

“Yeah, you’ve definitely always been humble.” June chuckled. Alex feigned hurt and they both laughed softly into the phone. “Oh, I’ve been meaning to ask,” she added. “How’re you guys gonna do the last names?”

“I think we’re just gonna keep our own last names, honestly.” Alex said.

“Wow, how feminist of you.”

“Well, that and also the fact that it would be some kind of cruel punishment on our future kids to try to hyphenate our names together.” Alex huffed a laugh at the thought. There’s no telling what that many hyphens would do to a child.

“Aww!!” June swooned. “I’m gonna be an aunt!! To your kids! Because you’re in loooooove!!” she said, drawing out the last word and pitching her voice up and down.

“Shut up.” Alex said, smiling.

“You’re in looooove and you’re getting marriiieeedd to a priiiinncceee!” She laughed, elongating every vowel. 

“I’m gonna kill you.” He said but he couldn’t hold in his laugh anymore. It was true. He was in love. God, it felt good. 

“Henry and Alex sittin’ in a tree. K-I-S-S-”

“I’m hanging up now.”

“Ugh okay fine. Byeeee, love you, see you soon.”

“Bye, Bug. Oh and next time you call me, can it not be in the middle of the night? Some of us do sleep, you know.”

“Sorry lil bro, inspiration calls.”

“Yeah, well inspiration doesn’t have to call at three AM. It can call at like, maybe nine or something. Love ya.”

He heard June’s giggle as he disconnected the call and shuffled back to his sleeping prince. 

And so even though it was slightly overwhelming, the planning was well underway and they would definitely be ready for the weddings in June. Truly though, it could not have been possible without his friends. With Bea’s experience planning large scale events, June’s taste and eye for design, Nora’s ability to crunch numbers and keep them on budget, and Pez’s… well, general existence, the load was significantly taken off of Henry and Alex’s shoulders. Leo, Ellen, Oscar, Catherine, and even Luna all took time away from their own busy schedules to help in the planning as well, which was both unexpected and touching. Alex felt so much love coming from all around him and these moments with their little family were ones that he and Henry both cherished. 

On the morning of the Texas wedding, Alex had woken up with a smile on his face that stuck there all day. The sky was a clear blue with absolutely zero clouds and the water on the lake was calm and serene. There was an energy in the air, but no tension; somehow what could have been the most stressful day of his life was completely void of it. As he got dressed in his gray chinos and navy blue button up with a little Union Jack pinned to the breast pocket, he wondered what Henry would be wearing. June, Nora, Bea and Pez had insisted that they pick both Alex and Henry’s outfits, and would not let them see each other’s until they got to the aisle. They assured them that they would match, but would not give any information about color or style, forbidding either of them to do the same (“Come on, Nora. I know you wanna tell me. Please?” “Alex, June will literally kill me if I tell you or let you tell Henry, and if I die then I am going to kill you.”) Whatever. Surprises can be good.

He could feel a bit of nerves pooling in his stomach as he waited to go stand on the dock, which was serving as their makeshift altar. Alex began to walk lines into the grass as he paced back and forth. This was happening. He couldn’t believe it. Everything that they had been through together and this was happening. 

“You okay, mijo?” His dad said, coming up next to him. 

“Yeah. Of course. Obviously. Just, you know. Nervous, I guess. This is kinda like a big deal, right? Like I’m getting married. Shit.” He had stopped pacing, but started up again, putting his thumb in his mouth and biting the nail like he was five. 

“Hey, hey, it’s gonna be alright, okay? This is a big moment. But at least you know that you’re making the right choice. You feel forever about him, yeah?” Oscar put his hands on Alex’s shoulders to stop his nervous walking and forced Alex to look him in the eyes. “Forever, right?” he asked again.

“Yeah. Forever. I am 1000% sure.”

“Well, there you go.” Oscar said, pulling Alex in for a hug. “Te quiero, mijo. Siempre lo he hecho, siempre lo haré”. I love you, son. Always have, always will.

Alex felt tears welling up in his eyes. “Love you too, Dad.” He said, voice shaking a bit. But the turning in his stomach had stopped and the world seemed to be standing still. Waiting. He was ready. 

“Hey guys, sorry to interrupt, but we’re ready when you are.” Nora said as Oscar and Alex pulled away from each other. She looked beautiful in her soft yellow shift dress and he smiled at her appreciatively. His heart was so full of love he felt just about ready to burst. She gave him a small encouraging smile and waved her hand for him to follow. Now or never. 

Nora walked down the dock with Alex in tow and deposited him at the end. Once she was pleased with his hair and outfit, she took her spot at the very end of the dock. While they had been trying to decide who they were going to hire to officiate the wedding, Nora had gotten herself ordained and volunteered for the job. There really was nothing she couldn’t do. 

June, Ellen, Oscar, Leo, Catherine, Bea, Pez, Phillip, and Martha all sat in the front row on either side of the aisle. Farther back, Alex could see Zahra and Shaan sitting next to each other, beaming at him. Zahra gave him a small smirk and waggled her ring finger at him, as if to say ‘Mine’s still bigger than yours’. Alex rolled his eyes and gave a small laugh. To the right, he could see Liam and Spencer, who both gave small waves which Alex returned. Cash, Amy, and Amy’s wife were sitting close to Zahra and Shaan, and Alex saw Rafael Luna talking to his dad. So many people that he loved all gathered around to celebrate his love. He felt so lucky. 

Suddenly, Alex heard music playing from a portable speaker and a hush went through the crowd. Alex turned to look as Henry walked out of the house, onto the deck, and finally onto the grass, making his way down the aisle and to the dock. Alex’s breath caught in his throat when he saw the white shirt covered in tiny yellow flowers that Henry was wearing. An ipê-amarillo was tucked behind one ear. Shit. He was so beautiful. 

It seemed like an eternity before Henry finally made it to the end of the dock where Nora and Alex were standing. Alex immediately grabbed Henry’s hands and felt like he had to physically restrain himself from doing anything else. “Hi sweetheart,” Alex whispered.

“Hi darling,” Henry smiled, and all of the breath in Alex’s lungs whooshed out of his body at once. He started to feel like Henry’s hands were the only things keeping him tethered to earth and without them he would blow away on the next breeze. 

Nora cleared her throat. “Friends and family, we are gathered here today to celebrate the love between two of the best people I have ever known in my life. Henry, from the moment I met you, I could see how smart, brave and strong you are. We are so happy to welcome you into this family. Alex, well, we love you anyway, buddy.” The audience chuckled at that, Henry’s mouth splitting open to reveal his perfect teeth. “You two are truly the perfect pair and compliment each other in every way. Henry, I don’t know how you do it, but I’m just glad it’s not me stuck with Alex for the rest of time.” Henry laughed again, throwing his head back a bit and slightly shaking it, while Alex gave Nora a light elbow in the rib and chuckled. “And now, the rings please.”

Henry let go of one of Alex’s hands and tapped the side of his thigh twice while saying, “David, come!”

David came trotting out of the house, ears flapping in the wind, with the handle of a small covered basket in his mouth. Alex heard a collective “Aw” run through the crowd as he and Henry both bent down to pet David. Once Henry had taken the basket, Bea called David, who promptly ran back to her, accepted his treat, and laid down at her feet. Henry handed the basket to Nora and turned back to Alex, while Nora uncovered the basket to reveal two golden bands, each etched with the North Star laying on white satin. Henry reached into the basket and scooped up both of the rings, depositing one into Alex’s right hand. He then took Alex’s left hand and slid the band onto his ring finger. Alex could hardly breathe. He could feel static everywhere on his hand that Henry touched, like little fireworks beneath his skin. Henry smirked at him. “Your turn, babe,” he whispered. 

Alex nodded dumbly, taking Henry’s left hand and sliding the golden band onto his ring finger. Everything felt like it had melted away and he was swimming in the blue of the water, the sky, Henry’s eyes. All he could see was blue, blue, blue.

“And now,” Nora continued. “If either of you had anything you wanted to say.”

Henry cleared his throat. “Uh, yes, I had something.” He pulled a slip of paper out of his pocket with one hand and took one of Alex’s with the other.

“Alex. From the first second that I saw you, I knew you were too good for me. I had spent my entire life trying to live in the shadows and you came burning through all of my defenses like the sun. There was nowhere I could hide from you. You seared through all of my darkness. 

“I also think that from the first second I saw you, I loved you. And being someone with so many scars on my heart, that was terrifying. You genuinely scared me. I had never met anyone so bold, so confident, so in love with life itself. I saw in you the courage and bravery that I had always wanted to see in myself. I wanted so badly to live in the carefree way that you did. To be honest about who I was. To finally leave my dark castle and find the sun country that you lived in. 

“You have opened me up to a life that I had never known was possible. I was content to waste my days away, yearning for a life that I would never be able to lead, until you kicked down my door and dragged me into the light. You once told me that I was the North Star to you. If that’s true, then you are the sun. Golden light washes over everything you touch.

“You have made me a man. My life is worth living because you are in it. I scoured all of my favorite books and poems, searching for the perfect quote that could sum up the way that I feel about you. There is none. But, if I had to pick one, I will, of course, quote from Jane Austen. ‘In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you’. 

“I would look for you in every lifetime. I know that our souls are the same. We have lived side-by-side throughout history, and it is my extreme honor and privilege to continue to make history with you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for saving me. I love you with all that I am.”

Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck. Alex was an absolute mess, tears streaming down his face and snot coming out of his nose and he didn’t even care because oh my god the most perfect and strong and amazing man was standing in front of him and god he loved him so much. And what was more, Henry loved him, too. Fuck. There were no words. 

“Alex,” Nora choked. He had almost forgotten she was there. Almost forgotten anyone was there besides himself and Henry. He finally ripped his eyes away from Henry’s face long enough to look at Nora and see tears running lines through her foundation. “Do you have anything you’d like to say?”

Alex turned his gaze back to Henry’s shining grin, saw the redness in his eyes and cheeks, saw the bravery and strength in his shoulders, saw the proud lines of his jaw and nose, the hands that could so eloquently write the most beautiful lines, the chest that he had rested his head on so many nights, the sandy blonde hair that his grubby 12-year-old fingers had traced over and over and over again, saw all these parts and pieces that combined to make him, his Henry, his shining prince and was left wordless.

“Fuck that.” Alex said, wrapping his arms around Henry’s neck and kissing him like it was the first and last time he ever would. He tasted the salt as their tears mixed together on their lips and felt Henry smile into his mouth, the sweetest feeling he had ever known. Somewhere in the background, he knew he could hear his family and friends cheering and applauding, but all that he consciously knew was Henry and this moment and his heart swelled so big he thought it might burst. He wouldn’t care if he died on the spot. Alex had never been this happy in his entire life. He and his prince. Alex and Henry. Together for all of history. They would be remembered. 

The after party was a blur of laughing, crying, and lots of alcohol. In his memory of the night, Alex can only see hazy polaroids of moments flashing before his eyes. The Super Six taking the first shot together. Nora riding around on Pez’s shoulders. His mom and dad laughing with each other. His first dance with Henry to ‘Your Song’. David trying to steal barbecue off the table and pulling the entire table cloth with it. June and Bea singing and playing the guitar together late into the night. And all the while, Henry smiling and laughing next to him. Henry loving him. Alex would never forget that. 

It was past midnight by the time the party ended. They had all been sitting around the fire, strumming songs, when one by one they had left, yawning and stretching and ready for bed. Finally, it was only the two of them and Henry looked at him with a tired smile. Alex kissed the corner of his mouth. That corner that he had once said he wanted to smooth down from the worried place it liked to go, looked almost lazily relaxed. Alex grinned. 

“Should we go to bed, love?” Henry yawned. 

“Hm,” Alex said. “I think there’s one more thing we have to do.” Getting to his feet, he motioned Henry to do the same and led him over to the edge of the dock. He quickly stripped off his clothes, Henry following suit, and cannonballed into the lake.

The water was cool and it felt good against his sun-kissed skin. As he emerged from beneath the water, he was smacked in the face by the wave from Henry’s own cannonball. Alex laughed, shutting his eyes and spitting out water, then splashed Henry as soon as his head popped up from beneath the surface. 

Henry wiped the water off his face and looked at Alex, feigning outrage. “You bastard!” he exclaimed. Before Alex could react, Henry was whipping another blow of water into his face, with even more turbulence than the last. 

“You hit me first, dickhead!” Alex cried. Splash.

“No, I didn’t!” Splash.

“Yes, you did!” Splash.

“Did not!” Splash.

“Did so!” Splash. 

“You’re gonna regret that!” Henry declared, as he swam closer to Alex and tried to tackle him underwater. Despite his height disadvantage, Alex was able to wriggle himself out of Henry’s grasp and instead pushed Henry under the water, howling with laughter when Henry broke through the surface. Once Henry had at least attempted to wipe the water from his face, he began giggling, until he finally erupted into a full loud laugh and the two of them were close to tears and struggling to stay afloat.

Henry met Alex’s eyes and swam closer until their faces were almost touching. Even in the dark, Alex could see the stark blue of his eyes and revelled in it. “I love you, Alex,” Henry whispered. Alex caught his face in his hands and kissed him, needy and exhausted and filled with so much joy that he couldn’t contain it. The joy was freely flowing out of the Waterloo Vase in his heart and he could feel Henry’s own happiness radiating off of him. They stayed like this for minutes, these sweet, private moments in the dark, where there was no way to tell where one of them stopped and the other began and, Alex thought, it really didn’t matter since their souls were one and the same. 

“I love you,” Alex whispered into Henry’s mouth.

Henry pulled away for a moment and looked into Alex’s eyes. “You know, there was a time when that was the scariest thing you could ever say to me,” Henry smiled wide and open, the picture of health and happiness. “So glad I got over that fear.” 

Alex practically swooned. “Me too, babe. Me too.”

\---

“Alex!” June called, knocking on his door. “Are you almost ready? We’re about to start.”

“Just a minute!” Alex choked. The weight of how very public this was hit him and he felt stage-fright for the first time in his life. This felt like such a personal moment, that to televize it almost made it feel cheap or fake. 

“Can I come in?” June asked softly.

“Yeah, sure,” Alex said, turning to face the door.

“Hey. You okay?” She reached out and put a hand on his arm, rubbing small circles with her thumb.

“Yeah, I’m okay. It’s just so public, you know? Kinda freaking me out, to be honest.”

“Listen. You’re Alex freaking Claremont-Diaz, okay? America’s sweetheart, GQ cover at 18, kickass lawyer. Nothing to be nervous about. Just another press junket, yeah? All you gotta do is smile and wave and look as in love with Henry as I know you are and it’ll all be over soon. One day for the rest of your lives. Then you’re free.”

“Wow, thanks Bug. You actually do give good advice.”

“Yeah, it’d be nice if you took it sometimes. I do know what I’m talking about, you know!” She laughed quietly and kissed his cheek. “Okay, I gotta run, but you’re sure you’re good?”

“Yes, totally sure. I’m ready.”

“Okay, awesome. See you out there.” June gave him a warm grin before turning and rushing out the door. 

The ceremony was perfect. The weight of Oscar’s arm on his had held him steady while he walked down the first-half of the aisle, under the gaze of so many people he didn’t recognize and huge cameras that followed his every move. But once he had gotten halfway down the aisle, once he was able to see the look on Henry’s face and the blue of his eyes, the anxiety melted away and left only a warm feeling in his stomach. There he was. His awaiting prince. He had the urge to pinch himself. 

After the exchange of the rings and the vows (they had opted to go with the prewritten ones for this ceremony), it was over and the two kissed to the sound of polite applause and some whoops and hollers which he could only assume were Pez and Nora. The reception began shortly after and Henry and Alex were made to walk around the room and greet all of the guests to thank them for coming. Most were kind and cordial, although some made it clear with their coldness that they did not approve of the wedding. It took everything in Alex to not rip them apart or punch a wall, but when Henry whispered, “Love, we’ve already won,” into his ear, he felt the anger melt away, too.

Once they had said hello to all of the guests, they were finally allowed to eat. Alex was starving and shoved basically whatever was closest to him down his throat, while Henry laughed at him and politely ate his meal. After the two had eaten, they did another quick walk around the room to find the champagne fountain. 

“Holy shit. Are there three fountains?! You love me enough to get three champagne fountains!! Sweetheart, you shouldn’t have,” Alex faux swooned.

“Anything for you, my love,” Henry replied, doing a mock bow that made Alex nearly spit his drink. 

“So, now that we’ve met nearly every viscount in Great Britain, I’ve actually been meaning to ask you for years, what the fuck is a vis-” Alex cut off abruptly as his eyes caught on something in the corner of the room. 

“What?” Henry asked, following Alex’s line of sight to the massive seven layer white cake that Alex was now walking towards like a moth to light. “Oh no. Alex, you promised not to go near it until the cutting ceremony,” Henry said as he followed Alex.

“Yeah, okay, well, it’s my wedding so I feel like I should be able to go look at it. Besides, the only reason I knocked it over that time was because you were being a dick. It clearly wasn’t my fault. I think you’re the one that needs to be put on a leash.”

“Okay, and who was the one who came up to me instigating a fight? I seem to recall I was trying to walk away from you, when you pulled me back like a brat and toppled the cake!”

‘Well, I wouldn’t have had to pull you back if you would have just been mean to me like I wanted in the first place!”

“Well excuse me for wanting to be civil with foreign diplomats!”

They both looked ahead to see that the cake was right in front of them. Alex thought it was taunting him. “It’s laughing at me,” Alex said. “The cake is laughing at me. I can tell.”

Henry let out a loud laugh. “First the turkeys, now a cake. You have gone bloody insane.”

“Maybe. Or maybe we should end this how we started it.”

Henry looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “What do you mean, exactly?”

“I mean,” Alex said, gesturing towards the cake and then holding his hand out for Henry to take. “Shall we?”

Henry huffed a laugh. He seemed to ponder it for a moment. Looking from Alex’s hand to the cake, and then back again. “Okay,” he said, a sly smile creeping on his face. “But now it’s my turn.”

Before Alex knew what was happening, Henry had grabbed the sleeve of his suit jacket and hauled them both into the cake table. Alex heard a collective gasp as he and Henry hit the floor and then felt the weight of the cake smash on top of both of them. June, Nora, Pez, and Bea were there in an instant. “Dammit Diaz!” June exclaimed. “This is why we can’t have nice things!”

Alex turned to look at the mountain of buttercream frosting that used to be his husband and saw Henry’s smile peak through the layers of sugar. He watched as Henry began to shake with laughter, and Alex soon joined him, too happy to not see the hilarity of the situation. Soon Nora and Pez joined in, followed by June and Bea, and he thought he even saw Phillip chuckle at his table with Martha. Catherine, Leo, Ellen, and Oscar were all cracking up, and Shaan was struggling to fight a smile as he stood at his place on the wall. 

Alex felt something move at his side and turned to see Henry had scooted closer so that they were almost touching. Henry put his hand on Alex’s cheek, likely leaving a thick layer of frosting, and leaned in close, laughing a soft private laugh that melded with Alex’s own. “So now we’re even,” Henry smiled. Alex smiled back. He was so in love.

Henry leaned forward, connecting their lips in a gentle, sweet kiss, and Alex closed his eyes and drifted away into a perfect buttercream oblivion.


End file.
